Roberts proceeded to unleash a king cobra on Sid, until Hacksaw Jim Duggan intervened. Jake "The Snake" Roberts Jake was way over with the fans when he was a face, and maybe even a little more so when he was a heel. Numerous sources claim 'The Wrestler', the highly acclaimed movie, is based on Jake, however the 'The Wrestler' could be the story of a number of former professional wrestling legends RSOW ran three events, each headlined by Roberts vs. Pray for sick children who face this horrible disease 'cause The Snake will be just fine. Since he still loved to wrestle, he did not make this transition well. On the 87th day, Frey stepped down and was replaced by Bill Watts, for whom Roberts had legit heat with back in his days at Mid-South Wrestling. Jake the Snake did suffer a relapse after the filming wrapped up, but Page described him now as "Straight, straight, straight." Randy Savage said he enjoyed his run with Roberts, whose work was impressive. He had to feed it, he had to care for it, and he had to lug it around along with the rest of his stuff. His last match with WWF was at Shotgun Saturday Night on January 25, 1997 against Salvatore Sincere in a winning effort. He also stated that the cobra died a week after the angle and he joked that the cobra must have got the venom from him. The Honky Tonk Man's guitar shot actually injured Roberts' neck, as at the time guitars were not prepared to break easily. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, 2014, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2020. His father, Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith (1932–2010), was also a wrestler. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.229), Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship, Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship, Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship, "Interview: Get ready for story time with Jake 'The Snake' Roberts", "WrestlingGoneWrong.com is available at DomainMarket.com", "WWE: 10 Things You Need To Know About Jake "The Snake" Roberts", "Collectible News: Action Figure Spotlight - 40-inch "Damien" snake", "The SmarK DVD Rant for Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poison | Inside Pulse", "Extreme Championship Wrestling Results (1998)", "smackdown-raw-superstars-nxt – Jake Roberts", "1/29 PWG results in Los Angeles: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of PWG Title match, Kaval vs. Davey, Roberts retirement, Legends Battle Royal", "6/14 Reborn Wrestling: Jake Roberts and EZ Money meet in the six-man tag main event of a Christian based pro wrestling show", "Keller's TNA Impact Report 10/19: Angle-Joe confrontation, Final Bound for Glory Hype", "Impact: Angle Arrives, along with a Snake", "Keller's TNA Bound for GLory PPV Report 10/22: Ongoing "Virtual Time" Coverage", "Jake Roberts disparagingly about hall of fame induction", "Jake Roberts Returns in AEW, Says He's Going To Manage An Incoming Talent", "Jake Roberts Reveals Lance Archer is His New Client on AEW Dynamite", "AEW introducing the TNT Championship belt, winner to be crowned in a tournament", "4/29 AEW Dynamite TV results: Powell's live review of Cody vs. Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer in TNT Title tournament semifinal matches, Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian, Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt, AEW Champ Jon Moxley's promo", "WATCH: Mike Tyson scares off Jake 'The Snake' Roberts at AEW Double or Nothing wrestling show", "Boy Meets Vader: Because Every TGIF Sitcom Needs a Mastadon [, "Update On Jake "The Snake" Roberts Rehab Status", "Jim Ross comments on visiting WWE developmental headquarters, Jeff Hardy, and Jake Roberts", "Jake Roberts regains mobility and spirit", "Diamond Dallas Page and the Resurrection of Jake "The Snake" Roberts", "Jake "The Snake" Roberts – I Have Cancer", "Jake Roberts Reportedly Hospitalized With Double Pneumonia", "Lawyer: WWE legend Jake Roberts has brain abnormality", NWA World Television Title (Georgia) history, North American Heavyweight Title (Mid-South) history, "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Inspirational Wrestler of the Year", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1991", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years", Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Title history, World 6-Man Tag Team Title (World Class) history, "WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony: Jake 'The Snake' Roberts' Emotional Induction Stuns Crowd", Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jake_Roberts&oldid=1006492997, Professional wrestling managers and valets, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2016, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, AWN World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mid-South Television Championship Tournament (1986), PWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mike Blade, Ranked No. I think I would have been a great champion. He officially turned face when he feuded with The Honky Tonk Man, an Elvis impersonator, who attacked Roberts[12] with a guitar during his interview segment The Snake Pit. Stone Cold defeats Jake 'the Snake' Roberts marking the rise of Austin 3:16. Roberts stated in a shoot interview with Jim Ross that the feud with Savage had to end early because Elizabeth's parents were upset with Savage for not protecting Elizabeth when Roberts kayfabe slapped her. In August 2014, Roberts fell ill during a flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to attend a birthday event for fellow wrestler Nick Cvjetkovich. -Jake is spending time with his sons and their families. 10 Hulk Hogan While The Snake was embroiled in a feud with the Macho Man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship , Roberts would welcome Hulk Hogan to an episode of his talk show. Roberts went on to work for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) alongside his father, Grizzly Smith, where he aligned himself with The Barbarian and Cactus Jack to feud against Sting and Nikita Koloff. [33] After Roberts took his snake out of a bag, Brother Runt told him to put it away. 10 Jake The Snake Roberts No, stealing the Million Dollar Championship doesn’t count. Roberts cut a drunken promo paying tribute to Ray Traylor, who had died a few days before, and almost got into a scuffle with several WAW wrestlers who were sent out to defuse the situation.[29]. Sting Wrestles Young Kid in Classic Sprite Commercial, John Cena’s Net Worth Proves “The Prototype” Gets Paid Big Bucks, Stacy Keibler Is Still “The Weapon of Mass Seduction” at 41 Years Old, Stone Cold’s Raw Return Proves WWE’s Lack of Current Star Power. The movie makes it, seem like DDP Yoga is the only thing, that save Jake 'the Snake' Roberts & Scott Hall's life, when it wasn't. In February 1993, he took part in a tour in Australia. Despite it being 27 years ago, the incident still remains one o… Roberts made an appearance on the October 19, 2006 episode of TNA Impact!. The WrestleMania VIII match turned out to be Roberts' last for the WWF for nearly four years. [35], Roberts made a one-night return to TNA in 2008 as a guest of "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and SoCal Val's storyline wedding at Slammiversary.[36]. Imagine if today we had Bray Wyatt as champ with Roman chasing the title. A college coach turning down money? Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is a former professional American football player, a quarterback for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Roberts also teamed with Tommy Dreamer at the 1998 November to Remember as his mystery partner against Justin Credible and Jack Victory.[28]. At the 1996 Buried Alive, Austin defeats Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (Triple H). Roberts started his career in 1974 in the Louisiana area, as a referee and wrestler, making his name in Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling. DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD. And then Jake the Snake does the cockiest cover I have ever seen and it’s a thing of beauty. Since 2012, Chris has hosted the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, with over 100 wrestlers as special guests. Roberts had trouble developing his character, so in the late 1970s he traveled to Canada to wrestle. Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, commentator, actor, rapper, and professional baseball player best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and later World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with the nickname "Macho Man". He wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983, World Championship Wrestling in 1992, and the Mexico-based Asistencia Asesoría y Administración between 1993 and 1994 and again in 1997. ... Not a world title but he did win A title. Jake won the battle and 911 was forced to shave of his mustache, which he did, and 911 was never seen in ECW ever again. [6], Roberts started his career in 1974 in the Louisiana area, as a referee and wrestler, making his name in Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling. ... Jake “The Snake” Roberts. During an interview I had with Roberts on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, he expressed his thoughts of never winning the WWE Heavyweight Championship (he also expressed thoughts on this subject on the “Pick Your Poison” DVD). The segment went on longer than planned, and Savage's blood was clearly visible as it dripped from the puncture wounds. Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. (May 30, 1955) is a second-generation semi-retired American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith. The last 10 years of Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ life have been more difficult than any opponent he faced in the ring. Instead of fighting for the Intercontinental Championship, the prize of the feud was DiBiase's own Million Dollar Belt. Roberts went so far as to wear white contact lenses to "prove" his blindness. I explained to Roberts that, as a wrestling fan, I desired for him to win the world title. [33] Roberts then gave a "mumbling" promo. [37] Regarding his Hall of Fame induction, he later said, "It wasn't at all what I expected... it was more about healing between a man and his family. Roberts performed a DDT on Runt instead. In 1999, Roberts was unflatteringly featured in the wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. Jake “The Snake” Roberts, at that time one of the biggest names in the business, was one of the believers. Here was his response as to why he was never champion: “I don’t think I was ever in line to get it because I simply didn’t need it. [27] To go along with his new gimmick, his new Albino Burmese Python was named "Revelations." 23 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, Ranked No. Chris Featherstone is a WWE Contributor for FanBuzz. Debut and championship pursuits (1986–1990), Extreme Championship Wrestling (1997–1998), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006, 2008), Foley, Mick. Unfortunately, Steamboat was unable to stop his head from hitting the concrete and was rendered unconscious, sustaining a concussion. In early 1997, the WWF wanted Roberts to wind down his in-ring career and to join the backstage side of the company. This led to a man between the two at WrestleMania III. This led to Steamboat legitimately getting knocked out after falling victim to the DDT on the Saturday Night’s Main Event episode, which caused a major scare during the segment. He worked with the company to create a DVD retrospective of his career (the aforementioned Pick Your Poison DVD), which was released later that year. After Pat Patterson stepped down from his post on the writing staff stemming from the recent sexual harassment scandal, McMahon decided that, out of respect for Patterson, the spot would be left vacant. This one did it twice. Roberts no-showed several defenses, forcing SMW to give the title back to Anthony on July 5. The fact was that Jake had to carry the snake with him wherever he went. "[38] After his induction, he would continue to make sporadic appearances, and would also be a regular on WWE Story Time, even making an appearance on the show after his AEW debut. The bout ended after Roberts was able to "locate" Martel and deliver a DDT. He did ... Rose also wrestled in the first WrestleMania match ever. Despite this, Roberts would perform the DDT on Savage 3 times after the match and things came to a head when Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth. While in Stampede Wrestling, Roberts feuded with the Junkyard Dog. In November 1986, Roberts challenged Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. Though being one of the most popular professional wrestlers, promo cutters, and in-ring competitors of all time, Roberts was unjustly booked away from the world title scene during his time in WWE. During the latter segment, the Warrior opened the chest, only to be immediately bitten by a king cobra (actually a rubber prop). During his second tenure with the company, Roberts was pushed as a "Cinderella story" and faced Stone Cold Steve Austin in the final match of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament. Running time: 1:17. Things were a lot different in Jake s day. Roberts was so intoxicated that during the course of the night, he slurred his way through a promo before the match and staggered to, from, and around the ring during his entrance. Roberts made his first television appearance on August 2, 1992 at a Main Event taping in Baltimore, Maryland after coming through the crowd to attack Sting. In 2005, Roberts, along with others, heavily criticized the film for showing him in a negative light, complaining that the depiction of him was "not the real Jake Roberts." Magee said that Roberts was induced to a "coma-like" state in order to treat pneumonia. I kinda walked my own walk and did my own talk, and it wasn’t something that I need to sure up my Hall of Fame career. [5] Notably, although Ambrose's onscreen character was unconscious, he himself was visibly attempting not to smile during the segment as Roberts had been his favorite wrestler during his childhood. The feud continued with Steamboat winning most of the matches (losing only one because he threw Roberts back in the ring before the 10 count, while not beating the count himself), most notably a Snake Pit Match (ostensibly a no-DQ match) at The Big Event in Toronto, and the rematch on the October 1986 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event XII. Aurelian Smith Jr.[4] was born in Gainesville, Texas, on May 30, 1955. The tour kicked off on November 6, 2018 at the Lookout Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska. As previously noted, WWE Hall Of Famer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts was recently a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. As previously noted, WWE Hall Of Famer Jake 'The Snake' Roberts was recently a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. [13] The Honky Tonk Man denies that he purposefully injured Roberts, although Honky's manager Jimmy Hart, as well as a video of the incident (seen on the Pick Your Poison DVD) suggests otherwise with Roberts later claiming that he was picking pieces of wood out of his back for weeks after. His first major TV wrestling appearance for WCW was at Clash of the Champions XX, where his team won a 4-man elimination tag match. Later on, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts was diagnosed with pneumonia when he finally arrived in Las Vegas. Release Date: 01/22/19. "If I got the Snake, I might still be coaching. Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts…a wrestler for close to 20 years by this time…wanted to start slowing down. He was preparing for retirement for a few reasons. I was discussing with a friend the other day how the WWF would have looked had Jake been around in Summer 1992 when he was still in shape and on top of his game on the mic, going into 1993. He was replaced in the tournament by The Barbarian. First reports indicated that Roberts had fallen unconscious, but his manager/lawyer, Kyle P. Magee, confirmed that Roberts was alert and awake during the flight and notified the flight attendant of his pain and shortness of breath. With a single glance and a few dark words, Jake "The Snake" Roberts could make you believe that your career was about to come to a miserable end. Only one player over six feet has ever won a world title. Kenneth Michael Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015), nicknamed "Snake", was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), Houston Oilers (1980–1981) and New Orleans Saints (1982–1984). 100 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 13 February 2021, at 04:46. Roberts gives praise to Diamond Dallas Page and his yoga program for helping turn his life around. [26] His first WCW match came six days later when he defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell on a house show in Chicago, Illinois. So, this is to say that Jake is alive and some worth strong. The culmination of their feud took place at WrestleMania VI at the Skydome in Toronto, where in a match where the Million Dollar Belt was on the line, DiBiase gained a count-out victory over Roberts, thus regaining his non-sanctioned title. The match ended in a double disqualification. During an October 21 taping for WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Roberts goaded Savage into the ring and brutally attacked him, eventually tying Savage into the ropes and got the king cobra to bite his arm; the snake was devenomized and, according to Roberts' DVD Pick Your Poison, he had trouble getting the cobra to release his bite. Jake Roberts with one of his snakes. In 1962, Prudhomme was a partner in the Greer-Black-Prudhomme fuel digger, which earned the best win record in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history, before switching to Funny Car.He would win the NHRA FC championship four times in his 35-year career. In November 2002, Roberts started his own wrestling promotion in the UK, called "Real Stars of Wrestling". He definitely walked away from the game too soon." The year of great highs and deep lows for Jake "The Snake" Roberts continues, as he makes a full recovery from double pneumonia, but finds out that his cancer has relapsed. Jake The Snake had so many great moments in his career, and his life after the ring has become a bit of an inspiration thanks to DDP, but one thing Jake never did was win a title in the WWE. 4 years ago. He appeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling during the summer of 1997 and made appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2006 through 2008. After several days, he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To many, Roberts wrote the book on wrestling psychology, an art and a skill which he displayed on a weekly basis to WWE fans throughout the 80's and early 90's. While in Stampede Wrestling, Roberts feuded with the Junkyard Dog.[7][8]. In his promo, Roberts claimed that he had a "client" incoming to AEW to bring him down, hinting that he would be a manager for a new talent. Roberts had trouble developing his character, so in the late 1970s he traveled to Canada to wrestle. [41] On March 11, 2020, Roberts revealed Lance Archer as his new client. At WrestleMania VIII, Roberts lost the match, becoming the second man to lose to The Undertaker at WrestleMania.[10]. Following a brief feud with Bad News Brown in the summer of 1990, Roberts feuded with Rick "The Model" Martel throughout late 1990 into early 1991, after Martel (kayfabe) blinded Roberts by spraying his cologne "Arrogance" into his eyes. "The Snake Pit" was patterned after "Piper's Pit", wherein Roberts would conduct interviews with wrestlers or managers to help push wrestlers and get feuds over with the crowd. He was diagnosed with the flu two weeks earlier and ignored doctors' advice of rest and continued to travel to events. In October 1999, Roberts was one of several former NWA, WWF, and ECW wrestlers brought in to compete in the first Heroes of Wrestling event in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. A However, before he could officially join WCW, he had to wait 90 days. The fans were totally impressed as Tyson did his thing. A short feud with Sid ensued when Sid was scheduled to wrestle "El Diablo" and the Undertaker came out and accepted the challenge to face Sid. In response, he threatened to no-show WrestleMania if he was not given a release from his contract. One of the most brutal Superstars to ever terrorize WWE, the sadistic Sid brought an intensity that few could ever hope to contain. Mind Games. AEW Dynamite, Season 2, Episode 10 Review Fans were expecting big things from this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. On May 2, he defeated Tony Anthony to win the SMW Heavyweight Championship; the title change aired on May 14. Roberts' first major feud was against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, beginning on a nationally televised episode of Saturday Night's Main Event VI in May 1986. Jake Roberts spoke about never being a champion in WWE and said that he didn't need it, especially with his responsibility to carry around his snake: … After several months, the feud culminated in a match at WrestleMania VII, in which both contestants were blindfolded (though both Roberts and Martel did later confess to having some limited vision due to the lights in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena).